You missed a spot! Disinfecting shared mobile phones

摘要

The use of portable mobile devices has facilitated timely communication among healthcare team members. It's now a common practice for hospital-owned mobile phones to be shared among healthcare employees from shift to shift. Despite the benefit of increased, timely communication between caregivers, sharing mobile devices can lead to the spread of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) if they aren't properly disinfected. The Guidelines for Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities describe "non-critical environmental surfaces" as items that are frequently touched by the hand and may pose a risk of secondary infection transmission.1 Mobile phones are recognized as noncritical environmental surfaces, and research demonstrates the presence of contaminates on these devices. The CDC recommends a cleaning regimen that's effective, fast-acting, easy to follow, and economical. Currently, there are no published studies with standards for cleaning mobile phones. We studied the efficacy of two types of cleaning products on shared mobile phones carried by RNs at a 489-bed, Magnet?-designated, Midwestern regional medical center. The cleaning methods evaluated were 70% isopropyl alcohol wipes and ethyl alcohol wipes. Background check The issue of HAIs has presented an ongoing challenge to healthcare facilities. Healthcare workers are a potential source of HAIs because many pathogens are transmitted by hand and contaminated medical devices. There's extensive literature on the survival of organisms on inanimate objects, and studies suggest that commonly used patient-care items may serve as reservoirs and vectors for HAIs. For example, vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) are capable of prolonged survival on hands, gloves, and environmental surfaces.